Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-04
THE DANCE OF DEATH.

fnllanQer DarOy entered the read
ing room of the club. At the granite
threshold of the building he had hesi-
tated, but the power ofhabit is strong,
and for five years it had been his hab-
it to spend from ono to three hours
daily in the luxurious apartments set
apart for the choice spirits composing
the club
He had hesitated on this occasion,
not because he had ever failed in be-
ing a welcome accession to the groups
OF young men usually to be found
engaged in the occupations OF the
place, but, without doubt because OF
unusual circumstances environlng his
own personality. For the fact is, it
was the morning OF Darby's marriage
day.
That evening the multiform benefac-
tions Of the gods to him were to be
crowned by the gift OF a wife his own
hearts choosing. Under these circum-
stances, therefore, it was, perhaps,
natural that the bridegro o m elect
should have hesitated to brave the at
tention his presence was sure to call
forth in the rooms OF the club. Luck
lily when he entered there were not half
dozen fellows present, and these were
in a group at one OF the tables, evil
IDENTIFY engrossed in the discussion of
1o tod 70 in,
terest with the topic naturally suggest
cd by the unconscious self-conscious-
ness OF the new arrival.
They were highbred young bloods,
those OF the Jockey Club The court.
esy OF their greeting to Darby may
have been q trtle more pronounced
than usual, that was all. Not the lift
OF an eyelid us they made room for
him, betrayed cognizance OF the happy
destiny they knew to be imminent for
him. His best man expectant, Hardin
Golden, displayed admirable hnesse
in setting all parties ut ease.
''We have just been discussing the
freak OF fate which has victimized
poor Darrow," he said addressing
Darby.
"Darrow-what of him?"
"Man alive! Have you not heard?
Why, the morning papers are full OF
the shocking occurrence"
"The paperes ! have neglected to
look into; IL have been otherwise
Hardin nodded.
II understand. Well, Darrow poor
fellow, met an awful death last even
ing"
ut can't be possible' Why, walk.
ed with him on Carleton Terrace as
late as 8 o'clock, and when I parted
from him he told me he was going
directly home
eyes. Yet it was not two blocks
distant from the terrace where he was
tripped by the trailing loop OF q teie-
graph wire. As fate would have it, at
the same moment there was a train
runrine at full speed upon the elevat.
ed road above; the buffer caught in the
wire, and the locomotive rushed on,
dragging the coils in which Darrow,
poor devil, was being tossed like a
shuttlecock. Over and over he was
whirled, till the wire broke, and he
was dropped into an obscure street,
nlangled and lifeless."
Darby shivered; he made no COM
ment. 1t was on awful story to have
heard on his bridal morning. How
might q mortal brlbe Fate who
rode as in the car OF Juggernaut, grind
ing out tho lives OF the happy and
wretched alike?
The hippancy OF Bret Crosby Jared
upon his mood:
ut strikes me that's about the
style Deaths adopted these latter
days." commentsd that young fash
BILE breaking the silence "He's
an ill-mannered monster that's not
got the politeness of French dancing
master when he pounces upon and
waltzes of to destruction with a fel-
low, as he's done with Darrow."
"Fata viam invenient," muttered
Grantly. "There were Giles, Fleming
and Hoyt as we'll as Darrow."
There was an uncomfortable pause.
The tragic deaths which had befallen
the quartette OF their members in the
past eighteen months were not en-
ivening events to revert to.
'"The mare that broke Fleming's
neck had been landed but a week in
the country from Arabia," said Bret
Cosby; zone would think she had
crossed continents, and seas, spurred
OF the three fateful hags, so speedily
did she accomplish Fleming's doom
on her arrival"
''The fate that overlook Tom Giles
vas less STRANGE" commented Hardin;
"was a chance in a. thousand. To
be struck, at a distance OF fifty feet,
by pin from passing locomotive is
to me the very irony of fate"
The attempt at pleasantly evoked
but q feeble smile. The subject was
one that struck uncomfortable upon
the nerves of the group. ,,.l
Golden shook himself together. '1t
would be the splitting of a hair to
me-" he said, cynically, sto make
choice between the bolt of iron and
the bolt ofelectricity thatkilled Hoyt.
It was hard for fellow to be done to
death by d charge oil lightning when
there was not a cloud in the sky.
"Hoyt had been warned not to
touch the battery wires," interposed
Hairston.
Grantly shrugged his shoulders.
- believe you had also warned Jack
Fleming not to back that beastlys
Arabian, had you not, Hardin2"
Hardin assented. ;=
'.The Fates lead the willing and
drag the unwilling. quoted Grantley.
Who was there to warn Giles or
Darrow2" .55 sfs
| For the matter Of that" hippant-